5 Things That Never Happened to Jules Callaghan
by Ace Bullets
Summary: As the title suggests, this series of stories presents five things that never happened to Jules. Genres will be a mixed bag. Sam/Jules for the most part.
1. Rebellious

**Five Things That Never Happened to Jules Callaghan**

_**Rebellious**_

The rational part of 16-year-old Julianna Callaghan's brain told her that this time, she was in over her head.

But she seldom listened to that part.

Instead, Jules ran with the full force of her emotions. After all, the other girl totally deserved it. Didn't matter that she'd brought her 'posse'; Jules had grown up with four brothers. She could handle herself. Or so she thought.

The mall parking lot wasn't really the best place for a confrontation. It was open, and it was public.

The notion she might have a big audience actually added to the thrill.

Her rival dared her to throw the first punch, and she did, her fist smashing directly into the other girl's mouth. Maybe that would shut her up.

"_Cat fight!_" Jules heard someone holler, as the scuffle continued. The other girl, Megan, clawed at her face, scraping her nails down the side of Jules' cheek.

Jules angrily lashed back out, this time with a cuff to the side of Megan's head.

"Owww!" Megan howled, bringing her hand up protectively to her ear.

Jules sensed that one of Megan's gang had tried to sneak behind her. She whirled around, fixing the other girl, Celia, with a glare that would make water freeze.

Too late, Jules realised it was a ruse. Megan pounced, tackling Jules to the tarmac. Jules felt her forehead connect with the dirty surface, and grunted in pain.

The next thing she knew, Megan had grabbed a fistful of Jules' hair, and started to repeatedly slam her face down into the ground.

By now, a crowd had gathered to observe the melee, alerted by the shout of the anonymous 'someone' just minutes earlier.

"Megan," Jules heard Celia say urgently, "you better stop. I think someone's called the cops!"

"You had enough, runt?" Megan whispered harshly into Jules' ear, pausing for a moment in her attack. "'Cause if not, there's more where that came from!"

Jules didn't say a word, and remained perfectly still.

"Is she still conscious?" another of Megan's posse named Amber asked fearfully.

"Hey, runt, you awake?" Megan asked, tapping the back of Jules' head.

"Oh my God, Megan," Celia whined. "If you killed her..."

"Shut up, Celia! You're seriously so dense sometimes. Of _course_ I didn't _kill_ her; she's still breathing, anyhow!"

"Good," Celia sighed in relief.

"Guess you showed her," Amber said with false bravado.

"Yup," Megan said triumphantly, and picked herself up.

Jules chose that exact moment to strike. She hooked Megan's ankles with her feet, and swiftly brought the other girl down.

"Hey...!" Megan cried in surprise, as Jules launched a new attack. She landed hard on Megan, pinning her down with one knee, and started swinging with both fists.

Jules knew that she was landing all her blows, and was heedless of the damage she was actually causing her own hands. All that mattered was turning Megan's face into a bloody pulp.

A police siren shrieked in the distance, and the crowd scattered. Jules decided now would also be a good time to cut and run.

For the first time, she got a good look at her handiwork. Megan's lip was split and bleeding. Of course, Jules actually wasn't sure if all the blood was just from that lip alone. It could have been from Megan's mouth, as well, since she thought she'd knocked a few teeth loose.

Megan's nose was also bloody, and one of her eyes was starting to swell shut.

Jules had no idea what she looked like, herself, but she was quite confident she looked the better of the two combatants. She sprang up quickly, and readied to make her exit.

"Somebody stop her!" Celia shouted vainly, "stop her before she gets away!"

Jules rushed for the bicycle racks. She hopped on hers and hoped to put enough distance between her and whatever cop had the dumb luck to be saddled with this particular incident.

She knew when she got home her dad would be furious, but she didn't really care. He'd raised her to pull her own weight and to stand up for herself. What did he think, that she wouldn't put those lessons to good use?

Jules was about to start pedalling when she heard a commanding voice say: "Hold it right there!"

She wanted to ignore the voice and just take off, but a hand seized the back of her shirt and hauled her off the bike.

"Hey!" Jules protested. "Let go of me!"

She flailed her arms, but whoever had grabbed a hold of her was much, much taller, and much, much stronger. Jules craned her neck and caught sight of a man in the uniform of an RCMP constable.

"Quit struggling or I'll handcuff you right now!" he said in a warning voice that left no room for debate.

_This guy means it_, Jules thought sullenly. She ceased trying to free herself from his grasp.

"Smart choice," the constable said, and lowered her to the ground.

"Why are you picking on me?" Jules went into defensive mode. "It was the other girl's fault. Why aren't you arresting _her_?"

"Be quiet, and listen," the officer said in a steely voice. "You're in big trouble. We know all about you, Miss Callaghan."

Jules couldn't hide the surprise that he knew her name. But now that she looked closer, she thought she recognized him, too. Yeah, he was Constable Franklin or something like that. He had to be at least six feet, six inches tall. You didn't easily forget a man that height. The last time she'd encountered him, it had been because she'd tried to get into a bar. He'd confiscated her fake ID, and called her father.

She'd been grounded for a month for that stunt, but that didn't stop her from sneaking out of the house whenever she pleased, anyway.

"What's your problem? Do you _enjoy_ wrecking your life?" he asked. "Truancy. Under-age drinking. Assault. Shop-lifting...you're doing a bang-up job making your mark on the world."

"What's it to you?" Jules shot back rudely.

Constable Franklin, or whatever his name was, clenched his jaw and scowled.

"You know what? I've had it. No more wrist-slaps. We're tired of looking the other way. Time was we'd let this sort of behaviour slide as a _courtesy_ – 'cause your dad used to be a cop – but no more. Any other kid with your pattern of behaviour would have been in Juvie by now."

"You can't send me to Juvie," Jules challenged, folding her arms.

"_I_ can't, but I don't think there's any judge in this town who won't look at your record and not agree with me. Daddy's days as an officer of law won't mean _squat_ anymore, and your free ride just ended."

Jules suddenly felt very, very tired, and all her aches made themselves painfully present.

_I'll show _him_, _Jules thought rebelliously, as he escorted her to the waiting squad car. _I'm gonna bust out of Juvie. And when I do, I'm gonna show him you don't mess with a Callaghan..._

**END**


	2. Bad Habit

**A/N: Here's another sort of quirky chapter...Hope it's not too confusing. Enjoy.**

**Five Things That Never Happened to Jules Callaghan**

_**Bad Habit**_

_Psst. Hey, Jules!_

"Go away."

_Come on. You know you want me. You've been looking my way all day._

"No, I haven't."

_Sure you have. You can try to convince yourself otherwise, but the truth is you know you can't avoid taking a glance at me every so often._

"We are not having this conversation."

_Oh, yes, we are! Really, Jules, who do you think you're trying to fool?_

"I'm not 'trying to fool' anyone. You're the one that seems to have the problem dealing with the fact that I'm through with you."

_Yeah, yeah. That's what they _all_ say! But sooner or later, they all come crawling back, and so will you. Why? Because you're stuck on me, Jules. You can't function without me. You can't stop thinking about how much you want me and need me._

"I've been functioning just fine without you for almost an entire month. Get over yourself."

_Oh yeah? If you've totally quit me, then why do you still keep me around? Are you a sucker for punishment, or is just that deep down, you know that I'm a habit you just can't break?_

"I'm not listening anymore. I have work to do."

_You didn't answer my question, Jules. Avoidance is a real indicator of guilt. You of all people should know that, given the kinds of people you face every day._

"La-la-laaaaa...I'm not listening!"

_Cute, Jules. Remember the times when you couldn't make it through the day without me? I do. Those were good times! The way you held me... Have I ever told you I love the way your lips feel? So soft; so warm... You really set me aglow, Jules. I'm the one you turned to when you were stressed out and upset, and I'm the one who calmed those frayed nerves. You said so yourself. What happened to all of that, Jules? Our relationship was going along so well..._

"What happened? I found out our 'relationship' was toxic. You're no good for me at all! You pretend to be beneficial when, in fact, you kill just about everything you touch! You're a blight! You're a poison! And in case you haven't noticed, _everyone_ avoids me when you're with me!"

_You cut me deep, Jules. That was really mean-spirited... but you still haven't answered me. If I'm so 'toxic', why do you still keep me around?_

"You really want me to answer that?"

_Oh, yes!_

"Fine. But my answer involves actions more than it involves words."

_Ooh, I love actions infinitely more than words._

"Good. Here's my action, and here's my word: I'm _dumping_ you!"

_Hey – what are you doing?! You can't dump me. The garbage can? No! Not in there!_

"Consider yourself dumped!"

"Did you say something, Jules?"

"What? Oh, hi, Wordy...no, I just finally tossed out the last of my cigarettes..."

* * *


	3. Old Boys' Club

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update this one. It's been on my mind a long time, and I struggled quite a bit with it. It's not perfect, but it's done. **

**Five Things That Never Happened to Jules Callaghan**

_**Old Boys' Club**_

Jules tried to ignore the disapproving scowls on the faces of the other constables as she started pedaling one of the stationary bikes in the SRU workout room. She schooled her features and stared straight ahead, not making eye contact with any of them, though she could feel the weight of their stares heavily upon her.

_I'm not going to let them get to me,_ she thought fervently. _I pushed myself to my limits, and I came out on top to make the SRU. I am not going to let them intimidate me. _

Oh, she'd heard the whispers: derogatory comments about 'skirts' in the police force; affirmative action having no place on an elite tactical team; how no 'midget' was going to be backing up anybody with any competency, and some coarse language sprinkled in-between about her being a member of the weaker sex.

Jules increased the tension setting on the bike to highest level, and started to exert herself to vent her pent-up frustration. She'd picked this bike on purpose: it was the last in the row, and far enough away from the rest of her team members. Nobody else was using any of the bikes now, either - an added bonus.

Over the past week, she'd received nothing but cold stares and mono-syllabic, grunted replies whenever she tried to engage one of her new team members in conversation. She wondered how long it would last, if she'd ever be able to make it 'in' with them. She also worried what this behaviour boded for team cohesiveness. How could they work as a _team_ out there, on a call, if they didn't act as a team _here_ ?

A sick, grinding noise caught Jules' attention. The pedals spun out of control under her feet, then jammed completely, bringing her workout to a sudden halt. Jules gripped the handlebars and swiftly hopped off the seat. She took a second to catch her breath, then knelt down by the exercise bike to inspect it. She thought she caught a couple guffaws from some of the guys.

"I'd give that dismount a 1.5 out of 10," one voice muttered rudely, but clearly intended to reach Jules' ears.

"You're only saying that 'cause she brushed you off the other day and spoiled your plans for the evening," another replied with a snicker.

"She should have stuck with gymnastics," came a third voice.

"Nah, jockey would have been better," the first voice returned, "number one job options for the vertically-challenged!"

"They take chicks at the racetrack now?" the second voice asked in mock surprise. "What _is _the world coming to? Next thing, they'll be racing at NASCAR."

Jules pretended she didn't hear, and continued to keep her eyes on the bike. She couldn't be sure, but she was starting to come to the conclusion that the chain had snapped.

_Or, maybe someone messed with it before I got out here,_ Jules thought angrily. Thus far, there hadn't been any pranks or hazing rituals thrown her way. In a way, she'd been disappointed there hadn't been any whipped cream in her boots, or crazy glue on the door handle to her locker room, or anything like that, because in a perverse way, those rituals were a way of welcoming a new team member with open arms.

Instead, she'd been given the silent treatment. An impenetrable wall had been put up, locking her out, making it plainly evident she _wasn't_ welcome, even though she had bested three-hundred other applicants, two-hundred and eighty-two of which were men.

Her father back in Medicine Hat had warned her about the culture she'd find when she joined the police force, himself having been a member in his earlier working years. She hadn't wanted to believe him. Maybe women hadn't been welcome on the police force in _his _day, but Jules had wanted to believe that things would be different a few decades later, in a bigger city.

_I won't let them get to me,_ Jules re-asserted. _I'm as good as any one of them. I was better than the rest of the potential recruits. I'll be the best on this team, too. This Old Boys' Club is going to be taken down, or I'll die trying. _

END


	4. Up On A Roof

**A/N: Spoilers in a way, for **_**Scorpio, Between Heartbeats,**_** and **_**Follow the Leader.**_ **If you've seen **_**Between Heartbeats,**_** the opening scenes here will be instantly familiar.**

**Five Things That Never Happened to Jules Callaghan**

_**Up on a Roof**_

The sniper's nest was in sight. Spike had been able to direct Jules and Sam to the rooftop of a building on the corner of Bay and Queen, and now they were stealthily approaching a prone, motionless figure. Petar was concealing himself in a full camouflage outfit that resembled a Wookie more than a human, but it had served its purpose up to this point.

The figure was so still, Jules wondered aloud if Petar was even alive, that perhaps he had given up and had taken his own life.

"No visible signs of trauma," Sam replied softly.

They exchanged looks, and with a curt nod, Jules shouted out: "SRU! We have you surrounded! Place your hands where we can see them!"

"Do it now! Do it now!" Sam yelled.

The pair crept closer to the unresponsive subject. Cautiously, Jules reached for the Ghillie suit and yanked it away.

In shock, the SRU officers realised it had been merely draped over a duffel bag and a pair of old boots. Petar wasn't there at all.

"It's a ruse!" Sam cried, and looked around wildly to see if he could spot Petar anywhere in the surrounding rooftops, but it was useless.

"He tricked us, Boss," Jules reported to Sergeant Parker. "He's not here!"

"_Then where is he?_" Greg's voice came through, thick with worry.

"We have no eyes on him," Sam said anxiously.

"_Jules; Sam_,_ get back down here, now!_" Greg ordered.

"Copy that," Jules and Sam answered in tandem.

Jules hefted the combat shield and turned around. She was about to head for the rooftop access door when she heard Sam's cry, immediately followed by the sharp crack of a sniper rifle.

Not wanting to believe what her ears had just told her, Jules turned back in time to see her team mate crumple to the gravel-covered rooftop.

A second bullet whizzed past her head just as she bent to assist Sam, sending her adrenalin into overdrive.

"Officer down!" Jules screamed, forcing herself to focus; forcing herself to push past the horror of seeing blood starting to pool around Sam's body.

"We need paramedics _now! _Sam's been hit!"

Another bullet pinged against the heavy shield Jules propped up to cover herself and Sam.

"We're still under fire!"

From the way Sam had fallen and now from the way the shield had been struck, Jules deduced the shots were coming from the West Tower of the City Hall building. She relayed this information back to the team, and she heard Greg commanding Lou and Wordy to head there immediately. She also heard him order Team Four to assist with retrieving her and Sam from their precarious position.

"Sam," Jules whispered to her injured team mate, "can you hear me?"

There was no reply.

Desperate now, she leaned closer to him to listen for breathing sounds. "Sam! Come on, don't you dare die! Sam!"

The young man's eyes were open; staring at nothing.

"Sam Braddock, you did _not_ make it through two tours in Afghanistan to get killed up on a roof in Toronto, you hear me?"

Jules ignored the tears that were sliding down her cheeks and clouding her vision. She ignored the continuous barrage of sniper fire. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she silently sent up a prayer begging – _demanding_ Sam be spared.

Through her blurry vision, Jules could see her own hands being stained with red. Sam's uniform was saturated.

"Where are the paramedics?" Jules shouted to no one in particular. She knew she was bordering on hysteria, but the thought of losing Sam right there sent shockwaves of terror through her and banished all rational thought.

"Sam…" she whispered plaintively, "please…hold on…"

The rooftop access door burst open, startling Jules. Two members of Team Four emerged, shields protectively in front of them.

Petar changed his focus and started firing at these new targets, hoping, perhaps, to slow them down.

_Hurry, please, hurry! _Jules wanted to scream.

Behind the first pair came two more Team Four members, also carrying their riot shields.

"We've got him, Jules," Troy said huskily, as he and another officer carefully lifted Sam. "We gotta get him out of here now."

At first Jules didn't comprehend what the Team Four Sergeant was saying. Then she realised she'd been tightly gripping one of Sam's hands. Suddenly self-conscious, she let go, and saw Sam's hand fall limply.

"Let's move!" Troy bellowed, and Jules recovered her wits barely in time to assist in providing adequate cover from the continuing assault of Petar's rifle.

Once they'd reached the safety of the inside of the building, Jules watched anxiously as Sam was placed on a gurney. She watched as the paramedics stripped off his vest and uniform shirt. Just as one of the paramedics removed Sam's helmet, she caught a glimpse of his blue-stained ear.

_Santorini Sky_, Jules thought. She was jarred by the memory of the hours they'd spent the night before; their closeness; their intimacy she was so obsessed about keeping confidential.

_I can't lose him_. _He has to make it…_

_I don't care if the Sarge knows. I don't care if the whole bloody team knows! I don't care if my whole career is ruined. Sam has to make it._

_Nothing else matters._

* * *

The atmosphere in the waiting area of the hospital was subdued.

Every nerve in Jules' body was on edge as she watched the second hand tick by on the clock that was mounted on the taupe-coloured wall.

Greg, Ed, Wordy, Lou and Spike had just arrived from the de-briefing of the incident that had seen a member of Team Four shoot Petar Tomasic to death.

Jules barely heard as Spike recounted how the angry young man had grabbed Ed and was going to kill him.

_Why do I feel so numb_? Jules asked herself. _I should care more that Ed was in so much danger. But he's alive, and he's unhurt. _

"Jules," Wordy said softly, "he's a tough one. He's a fighter. He won't give up easy. You know that, right?"

A lump formed in her throat, and she simply nodded a reply, knowing if she tried to speak, she'd break down. And that was the last thing she wanted.

_You'd better make it, Sam,_ Jules projected, as if the gravely injured young man could somehow pick up her thoughts telepathically.

Greg slid down to the seat next to Jules.

Jules inhaled sharply, hypersensitive; her mind racing through the possible ways this conversation was about to go.

"Your secret's safe with me, Jules," Greg murmured. It was a discreet whisper, one Greg made certain none of the other members of the team could hear.

Jules was at once grateful for his tact.

"Sam's family won't be able to get here until tomorrow morning," Greg said. "Want me to check with the hospital ICU staff to see if it's okay if you can have ten minutes with him?"

Jules breathed out heavily; relieved he understood her absolute crushing need to be with Sam. "Yes," she answered.

"O-kay," Greg said with a nod, and stood up to go about his errand.

Jules leaned her head back against the wall, knowing she would never be able to find a comfortable position in the molded, plastic chairs.

She closed her eyes and tried to divest herself of the residual shock that still clung to her from the afternoon's events.

The rest of the guys were still there, not yet wanting to go home. Part of Jules wanted them to leave, just so she could pretend she had some privacy with Sam. But that wasn't fair; he was their team mate, too, even though the nature of her relationship with Sam differed significantly from the one he had with the rest of them. They all cared about the 'rookie', and she would have to accept that they had every right to be there.

_Sam…I thought you were going to die up on that roof. I was so scared I was going to lose you…The risks we've taken… have they been worth it? Have we been sneaking around for no good reason? You could have died up there on that roof without me ever telling you that I -_

"You're good to go, Jules," Greg interrupted her thoughts. "The head nurse says you can have ten minutes with Sam, but no more."

Jules sighed with relief. "Okay. Thanks, Sarge."

"Hey, no problem," he said, and gave her a quick, one-armed hug. "By the way, one of the paramedics who brought Sam in here said he knows you."

Jules frowned. She hadn't recognized any of the paramedics today. It had all been such a blur, and her entire focus had been on Sam…

"Oh?" she said in a questioning tone.

"Yeah. Said his name was Steve," Greg continued, "said he knew you from back home."

"…And he said his name was 'Steve'?" Jules asked for clarification, racking her brain for any memory of a guy she might have known in Medicine Hat with that name.

"That's what he said," Greg affirmed.

"…Nope. Don't know anyone by that name," Jules said, and turned to walk down the hall to the ICU to be with Sam.

END

**A/N: Just so my readers are clear, I have no opinion about Steve, one way or another. But the thought occurred to me what it might be like if what transpired on the rooftop during 'Between Heartbeats' had been reversed. Throwing Steve in there was just me playing with the JAM fans. And that's probably as shippy as I'll ever get, too, so don't expect more where that came from. And of course, none of this happened, anyway. **


	5. Hypothetical Honeymoons & Hiking Trails

**A/N: Here's the final installment for Jules! And because I didn't really do 'funny' for Jules before now, here's something I hope folks will find somewhat amusing. Yes, it is a little bit Jammy, too, but nothing overwhelming. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

**Five Things that Never Happened to Jules Callaghan**

_**Hypothetical Honeymoons and Hiking Trails**_

* * *

The sun dawned early and was shining brightly as Julianna 'Jules' Callaghan pulled into the small parking lot beside the lodge that served as the headquarters for the guided hiking tour operation that was her current source of employment.

She hopped out of her Jeep and took in a breath of air, thinking that today was going to be a warm one. Higher elevations could be a different story of course, but for now, Jules was satisfied with the shorts, t-shirt and hiking boots she was wearing. The rest of her gear she left in the backseat of her vehicle.

"'Morning, Allan," Jules greeted her boss as she stepped into the lodge.

"Hey, Jules," Allan replied casually from behind the booking desk. He was a husky man in his mid-fifties with a greying beard and an ever-present tan. His face was wrinkled and weathered-looking, as if he'd spent every waking moment of his life buffeted by winds and baked by the sun – which was partially true.

Jules knew Allan had lived here in Jasper for close to thirty years and that he'd left behind a cushy job with some oil company in Edmonton to live in the mountains and be a hiking guide.

For herself, she'd been looking to start over someplace new following a particularly nasty break-up with her long-time boyfriend. After drowning her sorrows for one too many nights, Jules had decided that Medicine Hat was a dead-end town, and that she had to get out or die an alcoholic old maid.

She'd stuffed her meagre belongings in her Jeep, headed west and stopped briefly in Calgary. But the Rocky Mountains had beckoned; their breathtaking beauty – plainly visible from the lonely highway she'd travelled – had been mesmerizing. So Jules kept on going, choosing a north-westernly route that ended when she reached Jasper and saw a 'Help Wanted' sign in Allan's window.

In the three years she'd been employed by Allan, Jules thought she'd worked out the emotional angst and laid down the cumbersome baggage she'd been carrying from her failed relationship. Maybe it was the fresh mountain air and the wild outdoors that worked like an elixir for her wounded heart and soul, or maybe it was simply the freedom of not having to depend on someone else who wasn't all that dependable. Whatever it was, Jules could look at her reflection in the mirror every morning and tell herself with confidence that she was better off without Steve.

Jules loved her job, because it never really felt like work. Sure, there were times when some of the clients she took hiking behaved like jerks or weren't respectful towards her or towards the environment, but those were few and far between. She got to meet all kinds of people from different parts of the world, and enjoyed hearing their stories and learning about different cultures from foreign tourists. Jules never tired of hearing about how the pristine Canadian wilderness was irresistibly enticing to the visiting vacationers, and counted her blessings that such beauty was in her own backyard.

Today, Jules was supposed to lead a foursome up a trail to the Bald Hills, which overlooked the magnificent Maligne Lake. It was one of her favourite trails, and she was looking forward to it. Four people was a nice number to lead on the hike, and Allan had indicated something about one of the pairs being a newlywed couple when the hike had been booked.

Jules went into the tiny, secure storage room in the lodge and grabbed a couple water bottles and some energy bars in preparation for the hike.

"Oh, by the way, Jules," Allan called to her from his desk.

"Yeah?" she raised her voice so he would know she'd heard him and was listening.

"One of your couples cancelled on us. Looks like it'll just be three of you hiking today."

Jules exited the storage room and approached Allan.

"Oh?" she said inquiringly. "Was it the newlywed couple or the other pair?"

Allan shrugged. "The other two, I guess," he replied. He handed her a sheet with the updated list of clients along with the planned itinerary.

"Hmm…" Jules said, after reading the two names confirmed for the hike that day. "Samuel and Natalie Braddock? Yeah, I've got the lovebirds. I hope they're not expecting to be pampered on this hike. They do know there aren't any bathrooms, much less any outhouses, right?"

Allan just smirked and shook his head. He knew Jules was remembering the last time some honeymooners had made use of their services.

That particular couple had complained the entire time about everything from the bugs to the scorching sun and the difficulty of the hike. They'd balked at having to relieve themselves in the brush or behind boulders. Before the hike was half over, Jules was carrying both her pack and the bride's, as the other woman was feeling unduly burdened by its weight and whined that she was getting blisters on her feet the whole way. The groom had never once offered to help carry his wife's items and had claimed he'd seen much prettier mountains and lakes in New Zealand.

"I give those two a _month_," Jules had remarked to Allan when that hike from hell was over.

ooo

At about quarter to nine in the morning, a black SUV pulled into the lot.

Jules watched through one of the lodge's windows as a very blond, well-built young man exited the driver's seat. She could see his muscular arms and legs as he was wearing a black tank top and shorts. Slowly, the passenger-side door opened, and a slim, equally blonde young woman stepped out.

Jules couldn't hear what they were saying, but they seemed to be conversing about something of a very serious nature.

The young man opened up the hatch while the young woman walked to the entrance of the lodge.

"They're here," Jules muttered to Allan, who looked up expectantly.

The door opened, and the young woman went right over to Allan and introduced herself.

"Hi," she said shyly, "I'm just checking in, I guess… Natalie Braddock and Samuel Braddock… We booked last month…"

"I'm Allan," he said with a smile as he tapped the keyboard. "We have you both right here. Today, you're going to be with my best trail guide, Miss Callaghan."

"Oh, hello," Natalie said, noticing Jules. She politely extended her hand.

"You can call me 'Jules'," she said, giving Natalie's hand a firm shake.

Just then, the young man entered with two packs slung over his broad shoulders.

Jules felt a strange warmth creeping up her neck and her face, and she knew she was blushing. Up close, the guy was extremely good-looking. She averted her glance quickly, not wanting him to catch her looking at him.

"Are we all checked in, Nat?" he asked.

"Sure, Sam," Natalie replied. "This is Allan, the guy I spoke with on the phone, and this is Jules. She'll be our guide for the hike."

"Well, hello!" Sam said heartily, reaching out an enthusiastic hand as he introduced himself. "I'm Sam Braddock."

"Jules Callaghan," she managed to say, caught off-guard by his unrestrained friendliness. He was smiling broadly at her, and she was confused by the signals he was sending her. Did he really just hold onto her hand a little longer than was the norm for two people who had just met? Did he really look her directly in the eyes and smile in a flirtatious manner completely unbecoming of a newlywed man?

If so, Natalie seemed completely unaware of it, and was not even acting in a remotely territorial way in regards to Sam.

"So… 'Jules'… is that short for Julia or Juliet?" Sam asked.

She cleared her throat before answering. "Uhm, actually, my full name is Julianna."

"'Julianna'," Sam tried it out himself. "I like it. It's pretty."

"Uh… thank you," Jules said uncomfortably.

"I didn't realise we'd have a chick to be our guide on this hike," Sam went on as he passed Natalie her pack, "but I have a feeling this is going to be great!"

_Ohmigod_, Jules thought as she passed the couple copies of the itinerary, _this guy may be hot, but what an ass! I can't believe he just said that in front of his wife!_ _I hope he doesn't keep this up for the whole hike, because she's bound to notice if he does, and I don't need the hassle._

"Okay, you have the list of places we're planning to stop along the way," she said to them. "Do either of you need to use the bathroom before we head out? There's no facilities or outhouses where we're going…"

"I'm good," Natalie said.

"Same here," Sam answered with a nod.

"All right, I'm going to go over with you our safety rules and so forth so you know what to expect, and then I'll have you sign our waivers. If you're carrying anything of an illegal nature, get rid of it before we head out there. We've had people who thought they could 'smoke up' on these trails before, and we have a zero tolerance policy here about that kind of stuff…"

Natalie scoffed. "Sam here's a cop. He's as clean-cut as they come."

Sam looked slightly embarrassed and just shrugged.

"Good to know," Jules said. "Make sure you've packed lots of water and healthy snacks and a lunch. Our total hike is going to take approximately four to six hours. Any questions before we start heading out?"

Sam and Natalie shook their heads.

Jules explained in detail the potential risks involved in the hike and other safety precautions they were to take, then had them sign the company waivers.

"Great! Let's move," Jules said after Allan filed away the signed forms. "It's not every day I get to take honeymooners out on a hike, so I hope you both enjoy every minute of it."

The Braddocks halted in their tracks behind Jules.

"'Honeymooners'?" they said in tandem.

Jules turned to face them. "It is your honeymoon isn't it? Didn't you tell Allan you were newlyweds when you booked with us?"

Natalie went beet red and Sam started laughing hysterically.

"_Newlyweds?_" Natalie exclaimed, with a look of utter horror on her face.

Jules frowned in confusion. "Yes…" she said slowly, "that's what I was told about one of the couples who'd booked …"

Then it suddenly dawned on her what had happened.

"Sam's my _brother_!" Natalie spat, her face screwed up in disgust that Jules could even think that they were a couple.

Sam, for his part, was still howling and gasping for air.

He looked so comical and so cute, doubled over as he was, his pack shaking as he tried to get his laughter under control, that Jules found she was unable to keep from laughing as well at the absurdity of it all.

When they'd finally calmed down enough to speak, Jules apologized for her assumption.

"But in my defense," Jules continued, "you did both show up with the same last name, and we _did_ have a couple who booked with us, saying they were newlyweds. They were obviously the ones who cancelled earlier…"

"So, is that why you were acting so cold towards me?" Sam asked. "You thought I was married? Wow, you must have thought I was some kind of cad, flirting with you right in front of my 'wife'!"

"The thought did sort of cross my mind," Jules sheepishly admitted. "It was supposed to be your honeymoon, after all."

"But it's not," Sam said, looking meaningfully at her again, "and I'm really single."

"I am, too," Jules said. "But you know, my father warned me about dating cops… he said due to nature of the job, there's too much stress on the relationship…"

"Hmm…" Sam murmured, getting pensive for a moment. "My father warned me about dating hiking guide chicks, too… he said they jump to conclusions way too easily…"

Jules looked right back at Sam, straight into his calm, playful blue eyes. "Your father said that, did he?"

"Mm-hmm," Sam confirmed.

"You know, I never cared much for my father's advice," Jules said.

"Me, neither," said a smiling Sam.

"Well, good!" Jules declared. "Now that's over with, let's go!"

She grasped his hand securely in hers, and the two of them exited the lodge together and headed out to the hiking trail.

Natalie tagged along behind them and quipped: "Just think, you two… If this lasts, you'll have a really funny story to tell your grandkids…"

* * *

**END**


End file.
